Chronic Disease Biographical Narrative

.         Chronic Disease Biographical Narrative       Student Name Instructor Name Institutional Affiliation Course Number and Name Due Date         Chronic Disease Biographical Narrative Interviewing my 65-year-old, widowed, retired, ill, and low-morale grandmother was a challenging exercise that enabled me to learn essential aspects of cancer and its management. Insights from her responses reveal life-changing perspectives about her condition that I was unaware of early. Before her condition, life was regular, with minor interruptions in the family. However, this tranquility was disrupted by my parents’ news that my grandmother had Stage III cervical cancer. This occurrence pushed everyone to learn more about the public health and medical perspective of such a chronic illness and its implications in a family. My claim is that cervical cancer is a serious matter that needs global attention since it robs us of our loved ones and adversely affects the quality of life of both the patients and their caregivers. The family was her primary caregiver concerning finances, shelter, and psychological and physical health. Primary care for cancer patients requires strict medical attention, demonstrating why medics recommend extra nursing care (Chen et al., 2019). As an extended family, we were not emotionally or financially prepared for the lengthy and painful path of medications and chemotherapies that came with a loved one’s cervical cancer diagnosis. Within a year of the diagnosis, I had experienced significant transformations to acclimatize with the collective family responsibility. For instance, I became a more dependable, responsible, and cautious person, a change induced by the desire to offer as much assistance to her as possible. Her confessions during the interview revealed that she was aware that her condition triggered significant changes in all family members. Perhaps, everyone was concerned about her overall welfare and wanted to improve her quality of life. Cervical cancer is an illness that affects the cervix cells, which are in the lower part of the uterus. The disease is mainly caused by strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), with behavioral factors such as a high number of sexual partners influencing the condition (Habila et al., 2021). Irrespective of the challenges involving reconciling with her situation, understanding that cervical cancer is the world’s third-most prevalent disease with a 71% chance of survival offers her some hope (Arbyn et al., 2019). In the same context, she learned that in 2018, approximately 293,394 individuals had cancer in the U.S. (CDC, 2018). The rate of new cases is about 7.5 per 100,000 women annually, with a 2.2 per 100,000 women mortality rate (CDC, 2018). Research about the condition revealed that it remains prevalent in women between 35–65 years of age (Chellapandian et al., 2021). However, those over 65 years are more vulnerable and have a higher mortality rate of 20% (Chellapandian et al., 2021). Although these numbers added to worries, they enabled her to understand that the condition is not rare. It was worrying when she started experiencing some symptoms of the disease. They included abnormal vaginal bleeding and vaginal discharge, swollen legs, and problems with urination (ACS, 2021). Moreover, these physical symptoms lead to secondary psychological issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression (ACS, 2021). However, a quick search on the internet about cervical cancer management encouraged everyone that she would overcome these challenges. Progressive resea...